From staff reports

MOUNT ULLA — Marshal Faw had another stellar pitching effort as South Rowan beat West Rowan 7-3 in South Piedmont Conference action on Tuesday.

Faw struck out six and pitched into the seventh inning.

It was West’s Senior Night, but the Raiders took charge right away with a four-run first inning.

Faw’s triple was a key blow for the South offense. Faw and Conner Coy had two hits.

Logan Ballard and Drew Blackwell came through with hits and RBIs.

Corbin Bailey bounced back from a shaky start, struck out seven for the Falcons and pitched into the sixth inning.

Brant Graham had two RBIs for the Falcons. Cole Blevins and Gage Scruggs had two hits each.

South (11-11, 7-8) is making a push to get into the 3A state playoffs and has moved up to No. 31 in the 3A West RPI rankings.

The SPC gets three automatic playoff spots. West (16-6, 9-6) will finish outside the top three, but is No. 14 in 3A West RPI and is certain to get an at-large berth.

West plays non-conference at Alexander Central on Wednesday and finishes SPC play at Robinson on Friday.

South is scheduled to take on Piedmont in a Wednesday non-conference game and wraps up SPC action at Lake Norman Charter on Thursday.

Seven SPC teams are in the playoff hunt. In the 3A West RPI rankings, East Rowan is No. 1, with Lake Norman Charter (12), West (14), Carson (20), South (31), Robinson (32) and Northwest Cabarrus (34).

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CHINA GROVE — East Rowan, the top team in the 3A West RPI rankings, won again on Tuesday.

The Mustangs broke a 2-all tie in the fourth with two runs and went on to beat Carson 9-3.

Carson (13-9, 10-5) got within 4-3  going to the sixth, but the Mustangs (22-1, 15-1) tacked on two more runs.

Logan Dyer was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs for the Mustangs.

Braden Shive went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Nate Hayworth had three hits and scored two runs.

Krys Hernandez had two hits, including a double.

Isaiah Osterhus scored twice as a courtesy runner.

Harrison Ailshie stayed unbeaten on the mound. He struck out five in six innings.

Cobb Hightower pitched the seventh.

Corbin Hales, Daxton Savage and Jayven Parks had hits for the Cougars.

Parks and Will Bradshaw drove in runs. Savage scored two.

Maverick Walters pitched five innings, struck out five and took the loss.

East will celebrate Senior Night at Staton Field on Wednesday against Lake Norman.

Carson will be a top-three finisher in the SPC and will get one of the league’s three guaranteed playoff berths.

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Lake Norman Charter won 5-3 at Central Cabarrus on Tuesday to secure a top-three finish in the South Piedmont Conference.

The Knights (14-6, 10-5) scored four runs in the first inning.

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Robinson (10-12, 7-8) pounded Concord 17-5 in SPC baseball on Tuesday. The win put the Bulldogs in a three-way tie for fifth in the SPC with South Rowan and Northwest Cabarrus.

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A.L. Brown (7-14) lost 8-3 to North Stanly in a non-conference game played on Tuesday.